mcgeath



J. T. MCGRATH.

WALKING CHAIR.

APPLICAUON FILED JULY 15, 1918.

Patented J 11116 17, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. T. McGRATH.

WALKING CHAIR.

APPLICATIQN FILED JULY I5, 1918. 1,307,058.; Patented June 17, 1919,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIT/VESSES: INVE/V r01? JOHN THUS. McG-RATH, 0F BIJOQMING-TQN, ILLINOIS.

isoaose. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 31?, iltlliltb.

Application filed July 15, 1918. Serial No. 245,039.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN T. MoGRA'rH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Walking- Chairs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. This invention relates to a novel so-called walking chair, or an appliance on which a person .having lost partial use of his lbwer limbs may recline or be seated to,support himself in such a way asto enable him to support such portion of his weight on his feet as he is able to comfortably do and in such manner as to permit the normal movement of the lower limbs and feet in simulation of walking to move himself about.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an appliance of this character which will enable a person who has lost partial use of his lower limbs to comfortably move from place-to place underhis own direction and volition, and to also provide an appliance of this character which will enable a person who has temporarily lost the use of hlS lower limbs to practise walking under conditions which Wlll give him confidence in locomotion and which will gradually develop the sense of locomotion and strengthen the limbs to teach him to again walk without the use of such appliance.

Other purposes of the invention are to provide means for adjusting such an appliance to persons of different s1zes and heig ts, and to provide a device by which the person using it may sustain his-weight either partially on a seat provided or by the use of supports to otherwise principally sustain his wei ht while using the device.

Tie invention consists in the combination and. arrangement of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specification, and is pointed out in the appended claims.

Insaid drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a walking chair embodying my invention, showing a person seated therein and the manner of its use.

. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the-chair alone.

.seat.

My invention embraces a wheeled frame, preferably provided with front and rear wheels, a seat supported principally above said frame, and crutch staffs supported on the frame and rising therefrom and provided at their upper ends with arm rests,

and between said shoulder rests and frame with hand ieces which are adapted to be grasped by t e hand of the user to hold himself in position on the chair.

The device may embrace additionally a back support on which the patient may support his principal Weight while throwing more weight on the feet than when using the The said seat, the crutch staffs, and back support are adjustable in the various manners hereinafter described to adapt the walking chair to different individuals.

Referring now to the specific form of walking chair which I have chosen to illustrate-as one embodiment of the invention, the wheeled frame comprises side members 10, 10, each of which, as herein shown, comprises upright front and rear converging members 11 and 12. respectively, joined 'at. their upper ends by horizontal members 14 and near their lower ends by horizontal members 15. The side members 10 are connected by front and rear cross members 16, 17 respectively; the cross member 16 being located at the bottomsof the members 11' which extend below the connecting members 15, and the rear cross member 17 being located, as shown, in-the plane of the connecting members 15. When the frame is mount-- 'ed on wheels, theends of the cross member 16 may be extended beyond the general frame contour to constitute axles upon which are rotatively mounted'wheels 18. As herein shown, the rear members 12 of the side frames are extended below the cross member 17 to receive caster fittings 20 in which are rotatively mounted the rear frame supporting wheels 21.

22, 22 designate upright crutch staff's which are connected to and supported by the upper members 14 of the frame, and said staffs are provided at their upper ends Wltll angular terminals 23 to receive and support the usual shoulder rests 24 of crutches.

The connection between the crutch stafi's i and the upper members 14 of the wheeled frame embraces means by which said stafl's may be vertically adjusted to suit persons of diflerent heights, and means whereby the upper, shoulder rest carrying ends may be adjusted toward and from each other to adapt the device to persons of difierent sizes. The means for so supporting the crutch stafison the frame are made as follows:

25, designate two-way fittings which are formed to embrace horizontal sleeve portions '26 which are loosely supported on the horizontal members of the side frames. Said fittings are adapted to rock vertically on it will be noted that the crutch stafl's may be adjusted vertically with respect to the fittings 25 and locked in diflerent vertical adjustments by the set screws 31, and that, furthermore, the upper or shoulder rest carrying ends of said stafis may be'moved toward and from each other, due to the capacity of the sleeves 26 to rock on the horizontal'members 14 of the side frames, and

that this latter adjustment of the crutch staffs may be fixed by locking the sleeves 26 to the members 14 through the medium of the set screws 28. 35 designates a seat of any suitable form or construction that is supported on the frame ata point preferably above the members 14. The particular form of seat herein shown is of a type generally similar to a standard bicycle seat with its suitable springs. As herein shown, the said" sea-t structure is supported on a horizontal bar 36 that, in the present instance, extends between and is supported on the rear members 12, of the side frames. For this pur-. pose the ends of said seat sup-porting bar are enlarged and provided with eyes 38 to receive said members 12, and said bar may be locked to said frame members 12 by means of the set screws 39. The said supporting bar is provided between its ends with a socket member 40 which is provided I with an opening or socket 41 to receive the seat post 42; and said seat post is connected to the bar 36 by means of the set screw 43 to permit vertical adjustment of the seat through the medium of the set screw 43.

By reason of the sliding connection of the enlarged ends of the bar 36 with the rear members 12 of the side frames and of their adjustable attachment thereto through the medium of the set screws 39, it will be observed that said seat mounting, including the bar 36, may be vertically adjusted to suit the size of the person using the device. v

The crutch stafis are provided with any suitable form of hand holds 45 which, as shown, extend rearwardly from said stafi's. They are supported on the stafi's by means permitting the hand holds to be adjusted vertically relatively to the shoulder rests 24'. For this purpose, the said hand holds may be provided with hollow fittings 46 which surround and slide on the crutch staffs; and said fittings may be locked to the crutch stafis' by the set screws 47. In addition to the said support, the chair may be provided with a back support, designated as a whole by 50. Said back support is flexible and is connected at its ends with the crutch stafis at points above the hand h0lds45.

Said back support, as-herein shown, consists of a one-piece strap that is folded and threaded through loops 51 which constitute parts of fittings 52 which are mounted to slide on the crutch staffs; and said fittings are adapted to be adjustably fixed to the crutch stafis by means of the set screws 53. A buckle 54 provides means for lengthening and shortening said back supporting strap to adapt the same to persons of different sizes.

ingly practical, simple, and readily usable .walking chair for persons who have partially lost the use of their lower limbs, either temporarily or permanently, and have provided simple means for ad usting the chair to persons of widely varying stature and size.

When the limbs of the patient are not sufficiently strong to bear the larger portion of his weight, the seat 35 enables the patient to comfortably support himself in the chair and at the same time throw such portion of the weight of his body on his feet as may be agreeable to him; and to carry himself along by movement of the feet in simulation of o walking. When the person is only temporarily disabled this "exercise will strengthen the lower limbs so that the patient will grad ually be enabled to support more er his weight on his feet. At a time when the pa- 1 5 tient may support the greater portion of his weight on his feet, the seat may be removed and the back strap 50 relied upon in connection with the shoulder rests 24 to support the weight of the patient while moving about.

The use of the said device permits a person who has permanently lost the use of his limbs to support his weight, but whose limbs are sufiiciently active to enable him to move himself about when seated, with the principa-l portion of his weight on the seat and the shoulder rests.

The various frame members are shown as made of drawn steel tubing. The corner or connecting fittings are, for sake of clearness,

dill

and from each omitted but it will be understood that the various frame members will be connected by any known o preferred'forms of connecting within the spirit and scope of the claims hereto appended and that said details are not limited to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, except as to claims where the details are specifically set forth and as imposed by the priorart. For instance, the member which has been herein termed the back support may constitute as well a front support to extend across the breast of the occupantto prevent-the occupant falling out of the chair.

I claim as my invention:

1. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch stafis supported on sa-id'frame by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof, shoulder rests at theupper ends of said stafis, and means permitting ad ustment of the upper ends of the clutch stads toward other and for fixedly locking them in adjusted positions.

2. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, a supporting seat fixed thereon above said frame, crutch staffs supported on said frame by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said staffs, and means permitting adjustment ofthe upper ends of the crutch stafis toward and from each other and for locking them in adjusted positions.

3. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, having at its top corresponding side members and a rear connecting member, a seat supported on said connecting member,

crutch stads supported on said frame by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said stafis, and means for adjusting the upper ends of the crutch stads toward and from each other.

d. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame embracing side frames having corresponding horizontal members, fittings lib mounted for angular adjustment on said horizontalmembers, means to lock them in difierent angular adjustments thereon, said fittings being provided with sockets and upright crutch staffs seated in said sockets.

5. A walking chair comprising'a wheeled frame embraclng side frames having corresponding horizontal members, fittings mounted for angular adjustment on said horizontal members, means to lock them in diderent angular adjustments thereon, said fittings being provided with sockets, upright crutch stafis seated in said sockets, and

means permitting vertical adjustment of said-crutch stads in said sockets.

6. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch stads e; on id w,

by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof relativel to said frame, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said staffs, and hand holds fixed to said staffs by means permitting adjustment of said hand holds on said staffs relatively to said frame.

, 7 A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch staffs supported on said frame by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof relatively to said frame, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said staffs, 'means permitting adjustment of the upperends of said crutch stafis toward and from each other and for locking them in adjusted positions, and hand holds fixed to said stafls by means permitting vertical adjustment of said hand holds on said stafi's.

8. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch stalfs supported on said frame by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof relatively to said frame, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said stads, and a seat mounted on said frame, with means to vertically adjust the seat relatively to the frame.

9. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch stafi's supported on said frame, by means permitting vertical adjustment thereof on said frame, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said stafi's, a bar extending between the sides of the frame, with means to attach said bar at its ends to said frame, permitting vertical adjustment of the bar relatively to the said frame, and a seat supported on said bar.'

10. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch staffs supported on said frame .seat supported on the frame near the level of the hand holds, and a back supporting strap having means to support it on said crutch stafis above said hand holds.

12. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch staffs supported on said frame, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said lldib staffs, hand holds fixed to-said stads, a back supporting strap having means to support it on said crutch stafis above said hand holds, and means whereby said strap suporting means may be adjusted vertically of the crutch stads.

13. A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, a seat vertically adjustable on said frame, crutch stafis supported on said frame,

shoulder rests at the upper ends of said stafis, hand holds fixed to said stafis, and a crutch stafls extendin upwardly from said frame having shoul er restspanda seat mounted on the frame between said crutch stafi's. i

15; A walking chair comprising a frame provided at its front with axles,'wheels rotatively mounted thereon, casters rotatively mounted at the rear of the frame, wheels rotatively mounted in said casters, crutch stafi's extending upwardly from the frame and attached to the frame by means constructed to permit vertical adjustment of the stafi's relatively to the frame and by means permitting adjustment of the upper ends of the stafi's toward and from each other, a seat mounted on the. frame between said crutch stafis, and hand holds carried by the staifits above said seat.

16. A. walking provided at its front With axles, wheels rodhair comprising a frame i tat ively mounted thereon, castersrotativelv mounted at the rear of the frame, wheels rotatively mounted in said casters, crutch stafi's extending upwardly from the frame and attached to' the frame by means constructedto 'ermit vertical adjustment of the.

stafi'srelatively to the frame and by means permltting adjustment of the upper ends of the-stads toward and from each other, a

seat mounted on the frame between said crutch stafi's, hand holds carried by the stafi's above said seat, and means whereby said hand holds may be adjusted vertically along c said stafi's. and locked in adjusted positions thereon. v 1'1 A walking chair comprising a wheeled frame, crutch stafis slidably supported on said frame, with means for locking the stafls to the frame in difierent positions of vertical adjustment, shoulder rests at the upper ends of said stafi's, hand holds mounted on and vertically adjustable on said stafl's, a seat supported on the frame, and a back supporting strap supported on said crutch stafi's.

In Witness whereof ll claim the foregoing as myinvention, I hereunto append my signature at Bloomington, Illinois, this 21 day of June, 1918.

JOHN 'rrros. McGRA'IH.

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